Dear Parents/Guardians,Friday, January 19th, 2018

Hello, I’m Roger Crump and I’m your student’s Psychology teacher. One of the many topics we’re covering this year is Developmental Psychology. This topic deals with how we grow and change from conception to old age. A major theme in this section is the importance of parenting. Certainly parenting is one, if not the, most important “job” you’ll ever have. With that in mind, I’ve assigned a special project that your student must complete with you or someone in his or her life who is a parent.

The project consists of three questionnaires to be completed by parents or with the student. The answers to the questions are completely optional, confidential, and will be used by your student to write an essay response. If any are uncomfortable, skip them. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions – these are your opinions. And, your answers in no way will be used to form any judgment. They are simply research information for your student’s assignment. The hopes are that (1) your child will grow in his or her insight on child-rearing and (2) you both will have to a chance to communicate on a topic that perhaps is not common talk. I hope you’ll find participation worthwhile and rewarding.

If you have any additional questions, comments, or concerns please feel free to contact me at .

Sincerely,

Roger Crump

Social Studies Teacher

Bayshore High School

How well do you know your child?

For the parent to complete before speaking with the student. Afterwards, talk to your child to “grade how you did”.

  1. Who is your child’s best friend?
  2. What color would he/she like his/her room to be?
  3. Who is your child’s greatest hero?
  4. What embarrasses him/her most?
  5. What is his/her biggest fear?
  6. In gym, would your child rather play basketball, do exercises, or run relays?
  7. What is his/her favorite kind of music?
  8. What person outside the family has most influenced your child’s life?
  9. What are his/her favorite subjects in school?
  10. Of what accomplishment is your child most proud?
  11. What is your child’s biggest complaint about the family?
  12. What is his/her favorite television show?
  13. What sport does your child most enjoy?
  14. If you could buy your child anything in the world, what would be his/her first choice?
  15. Who is your child’s favorite teacher?
  16. What really makes your child angry?
  17. Does your child feel liked by the other students at the school?
  18. What would your child like to be when he/she grows up?
  19. What would your child’s choice be for a vacation: a camping trip, a visit to a big city, or a boat trip?
  20. Which of these chores does your child dislike most: drying dishes cleaning his/her room, or taking out the trash?
  21. What non-school book has your child recently read?
  22. What is his/her favorite family occasion?

Basic Strategies for Rearing Children

This form should be completed by the parent.

Directions: All the principles below are probably ALL important in parenting. Still, after reading through the entire list, try to choose what you think are the top 5 most-important. Place a check mark by the 5 you’d choose as the most important.

______Love Abundantly. Provide a sense of security, belonging, and support; express your
love and affection.

______Discipline Constructively. Give clear directions; set limits and be firm and consistent
(yet flexible) in enforcing them.

______Spend time with your children. Every day spend time playing, talking together, and teaching.

______Teach right from wrong. Actively teach your children values and manners, such as kindness,
respect for others, honesty, and responsibility.

______Really listen. Put aside your own thoughts and try to understand your child’s point of view;
listen to the child as a person.

______Offer Guidance. Don’t force opinions as laws, but offer your solutions when your children
discuss their difficulties with you.

______Frankness/honesty in dealing with others. This quality can lead to respect and a solid reputation.

______Concentration. This ability is fundamental for success in almost any endeavor.

______Social mindedness (concern for others). This is the opposite of selfishness and helps ensure that we live in a society where we look out for one another.

______Appreciation of art, music, and literature. These are largely ignored by much of society, however, they truly provide the “spice of life”.

______Loyalty to the church/faith. One’s religion provides a fundamental basis around which his or her life revolves. It is the person’s center.

______Tolerance of others. We live in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic society. Being able to get along with others is critical and will only continue to be so.

______Curiosity. A curious mind is a mind is a mind that never stops learning.

______Patriotism. We live in the best and most prosperous nation on the planet and it is important to realize, celebrate, and be thankful for that.

______Good Manners. Manners enable anyone to get along well with others. This is a skill that will be well-served in any job and in life in general.

______Independence. Being able to think for one’s self, rather than merely accepting others’ ideas, is one of the most critical skills a person can have.

______Academic Achievement. At this point in my child’s life, he/she has the job of “student” and he/she should focus on grades—the measure of that “job performance”.

______Willingness to work hard. Few things are more fundamental and key to a person’s success than an old-fashioned work ethic.

Interview Questionnaire

All info is optional.

Parent Interviewed (circle one):MotherFatherBoth

Mother’s current age: 20-2930-3940-4950-5960 plus

Father’s current age: 20-2930-3940-4950-5960 plus

Mother’s Occupation: ______

Father’s Occupation: ______

Additional Children: NamesAges

______

______

______

______

Interview Questions to be answered by the parent and written down by the student:
(use additional paper if needed)

  1. Based on personal experiences with your own children, what is the best advice (suggestions or strategies) that you would give new parents about raising their children?
  2. What two personality traits or characteristics do you emphasize most when raising your children—that is, what two traits do you consider most important for them to possess as adults?
  1. Why did you identify the items one the survey questionnaires as being important or less important?
  1. Is there any moment or situation you remember that illustrates any of these parenting principles?
  1. Students, add any follow-up questions that you feel are pertinent to this interview. Maybe, did your parent have any surprises from the “How well do you know your child?” page?
  1. At the very end ask your parents, how did they liked this assignment? Any suggestions?
  1. Thanks parents! :)

Writing Component: Reflection Questions

After compiling all of your information from your parent, write a 1-2 page reflection paper. Use the following guidelines:

  1. Use good grammar, complete sentences, correct spelling, etc.
  2. Answer at least THREE of the following questions and make sure to write the letter before the section you are answering so that I know you answered at least THREE:

A.Briefly describe how your interviewees (parents) responded to the questions. Did they enjoy the interview? Were they more than willing to answer questions and offer their viewpoints, or were they anxious to get it over with? Was this a positive experience for you and your parent? ELABORATE!

B.To what extent do you think their answer corresponded to how they actually raise their children and parent? Does it seem that what they say (or write) matches how they behave as parents? Be specific, give examples, be respectful.

C.Imagine yourself as a parent and consider how your answers to these questions might differ from those that you collected. Do you think your responses would match those of your parents? Or do you think your parenting philosophy would be very different from theirs? Elaborate, be specific, give examples.

D.What other factors (variables) played a role in how your parent responded? Did their age, gender, ethnic, or socioeconomic background play a part in how they answered the questionnaire? If so, how? Be specific, give “For instance,...” examples.

E.Imagine a survey researcher collecting data 20 years from now. Predict how parental values might change by then. What trend might appear that would reflect the changing social context in which families develop? Elaborate.